Some of us share a common experience. You’re driving along when a police cruiser pulls up behind you with its lights flashing. You pull over, the officer gets out, and your heart drops.

“Are you aware the registration on your car has expired?”

You’ve experienced one of the costs of procrastination. Procrastination can cause missed deadlines, missed opportunities, and just plain missing out.”

Procrastination is avoiding a task that needs to be done—postponing until tomorrow what could be done today. Procrastinators can sabotage themselves. They often put obstacles in their own path. They may choose paths that hurt their performance.

Though Mark Twain famously quipped, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.” We know that procrastination can be detrimental, both in our personal and professional lives. Problems with procrastination in the business world have led to a sizable industry in books, articles, workshops, videos, and other products created to deal with the issue. There are a number of theories about why people procrastinate, but whatever the psychology behind it, procrastination may cost money—particularly when investments and financial decisions are put off.

As the illustration below shows, putting off investing may put off potential returns.

If you have been meaning to get around to addressing some part of your financial future, maybe it’s time to develop a strategy. Don’t let procrastination keep you from pursuing your financial goals.

Early Bird

Let’s look at the case of Cindy and Charlie, who each invest $100,000.

Charlie immediately begins depositing $10,000 a year in an account that earns a 6% rate of return. Then, after 10 years, he stops making deposits.

Cindy waits 10 years before getting started. She then starts to invest $10,000 a year for 10 years into an account that also earns a 6% rate of return.

Cindy and Charlie have both invested the same $100,000. However, Charlie’s balance is higher at the end of 20 years because his account has more time for the investment returns to compound.

Start Young

The earlier you start saving for retirement the better. It is very rare to hear someone state they feel over prepared for retirement. Albert Einstein once said, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.” As you can see above, the earlier you start, the longer you have compound interest working in your favor.

Be Consistent

Contributing to a 401(k) requires discipline, but it can yield a strong retirement nest egg if done with consistency. Even if you only start with $5 per paycheck, something is better than nothing. Plus, I doubt you will notice the difference on your paystub.

Don’t Forget to Plan

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” This rings true whether you are approaching retirement or just getting your first job. Planning for your financial future is key and doing so with a qualified professional is even more important.

If you have questions about how to avoid procrastination by properly planning ahead, give us a call.

Have a great weekend!

Source: FMG Suite

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Golf Tip of the Week

The Keep Your Left Arm Straight Myth

Let’s discuss a big golf myth: Keep your left arm straight (or right arm for lefties).

It’s one of Five Old Wives Tales in Golf.

1. Keep your head down
2. Keep your left arm straight (front arm)
3. Shift your weight/turn your shoulders
4. Hit the ball
5. Follow through

I don’t believe you should try to bend your elbow, but I do not want you to try to lock it either.

The mission of golf is to start the face square, sitting behind the ball, swing the club to the top of the backswing, and return the club back to the bottom of the arc as close as possible to where it started. If you do that, the ball will go straight.

When you swing the club to the top of the backswing, the club head will always travel farther than your hands due to its length. If your front arm is straight and you try to get the club back to the bottom of the arc, the face will be way behind your front arm. Your hands will get back to the ball first because your arm is pulling. If you do this, the face will be WAY behind the grip. The face is pointing WAY right. That is where the ball will go.

I suggest you allow your front arm to hang straight. Relaxed. Like a piece of cooked spaghetti.  If you do this, you will allow your arms to swing the clubhead, and will feel the weight of the club head in your hands. The head of the club is like a pendant on the end of a chain. You need to allow it to swing. If you do, and keep your body still, the face will always come back to the bottom of the arc and square up. If the face is square, the ball will go straight.

Tip adapted from golftipsmag.comⁱ

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Recipe of the Week

Lemon Custard Donut Pudding

6 servings

Ingredients

• 12 bought cinnamon doughnuts, cut in half horizontally
• 600g carton vanilla custard
• 185ml (3/4 cup) milk
• 1 lemon, rind finely grate
• 170g (1/2 cup) bought lemon curd
• Pure icing sugar, to dust
• Vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Instructions

Recipe adapted from taste.com.auⁱⁱ

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Health Tip of the Week

Calculating Your Cholesterol

Your cholesterol numbers are an important factor in assessing your risk of cardiovascular disease, but the standard way they’re determined doesn’t always provide the most accurate assessment. Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a better way to calculate more precisely the level of so-called bad cholesterol, known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

“The traditional way of measuring LDL cholesterol too often underestimates it,” says Johns Hopkins cardiologist Steven Jones, M.D. This means that some high-risk patients need more aggressive treatment than they may be receiving.

Understanding Cholesterol Basics

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that circulates through your body and takes part in some beneficial functions such as cell membrane health and brain function. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the garbage left behind after the beneficial cholesterol has been used. This is the “bad” cholesterol we want to get rid of. Too much LDL cholesterol can build up in artery walls, contributing to the formation of plaque, the deposits that harden and narrow the arteries. This sets the stage for a possible future heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol doesn’t float freely in the blood—it must be carried by lipoproteins, particles formed in the liver that are made of fat and protein. There are several types, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which helps remove cholesterol from the arteries and prevent fatty buildup, and various non-HDL lipoproteins, which in excess are linked to artery damage, heart disease and stroke. These include intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), LDL and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL).

Measuring Cholesterol

A simple blood test called a lipid panel is used to measure total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, another type of fat molecule. Also included is LDL cholesterol, which is normally estimated rather than directly measured, since its direct measurement is more difficult. To calculate LDL, labs have traditionally used a formula known as the Friedewald equation, a more expedient way to assess LDL compared with actually measuring it, which involves a cumbersome and expensive process called ultracentrifugation.

A More Accurate Measurement Tool

The traditional Friedewald equation estimates LDL cholesterol this way: total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol minus triglycerides divided by five. For simplicity’s sake, the formula applies a one-size-fits-all factor of five to everyone. But Johns Hopkins researchers found that this often makes LDL cholesterol appear lower than it really is for some high-risk patients. The researchers sought a more accurate formula that would take into account specific details about a person’s cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Using a database of blood lipid samples from more than 1.3 million Americans—almost 3,000 times larger than the one used to develop the Friedewald equation — Johns Hopkins researchers developed a more accurate system for calculating LDL cholesterol. It can be used to make more precise decisions about treatment to prevent heart attack and stroke.

This newer LDL cholesterol formula is being adopted by U.S. laboratories as well as others around the world. The best implementation is direct coding the LDL cholesterol estimation in the lab IT system, which automates the process and saves clinicians time. The formula is also available as a mobile device app called the LDL Cholesterol Calculator. It is available on the iTunes App Store and on Google Play, for those whose lab hasn’t adopted it.

Researchers hope the new formula will one day be adopted by all labs that process lipid panels, as it can improve patient care.

Definitions

• Arteries (are-te-rease): The blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from your heart for delivery to every part of your body. Arteries look like thin tubes or hoses. The walls are made of a tough outer layer, a middle layer of muscle and a smooth inner wall that helps blood flow easily. The muscle layer expands and contracts to help blood move.

Tip adapted from hopkinsmedicine.orgⁱⁱⁱ 

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The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG Suite is not affiliated with Ballentine Capital Advisors. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright FMG Suite.

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This material is prepared by Ballentine Capital Advisors for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation or any particular security, strategy, or investment product.

No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve future profits or losses similar to those shown. You should not assume that investment decisions we make in the future will be profitable or equal the investment performance of the past. Past performance does not indicate future results.

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ⁱ https://www.golftipsmag.com/instruction/driving/the-keep-your-left-arm-straight-myth/
ⁱⁱwww.taste.com.au/recipes/lemon-custard-doughnut-pudding-recipe/jsaobvqt?r=recipes/doughnutrecipes&c=1q57vpcx/Doughnut%20recipes
ⁱⁱⁱ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/calculating-your-cholesterol/